Health care questions and answers

December 06, 2009|By James Oliphant and Kim Geiger, Tribune Newspapers

Here are some of readers' most frequently asked questions since the health care debate began in earnest this summer:

Q. Will I be forced to buy health insurance? Will I go to jail if I don't?

A. The short answer is yes, you likely will be forced to buy insurance, but no, you aren't likely to be locked up if you don't, unless you're a big-time tax cheat.

Both the House and Senate bills require Americans to have health insurance. If you don't have insurance through your job or through Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE or some other government plan, you would have to buy a plan or pay a tax penalty. Supporters of that requirement say forcing people to have insurance -- especially young, healthy people -- will lower costs for all involved, because it will allow insurance companies to spread risk across a wider population.

Q. I'm a veteran. Will my health care benefits be affected?

A. Probably not. The White House has insisted that neither veterans nor active-duty military will be affected by the changes to the health system regardless if they receive benefits through TRICARE or the Veterans Administration. Veterans would also be exempted from the individual mandate.

Q. I run a small business. Will I be forced to offer my employees health insurance?

A. Under the House bill, if your payroll is less than $500,000, you would not be required to do so. Above that, you would pay a penalty based on your payroll. Under the Senate plan, if you employ more than 50 full-timers, you'd have to offer insurance or pay an annual penalty of $750 per employee.

Q. Will the new insurance exchanges cover abortion procedures?

A. Under the House bill, any insurer who offers a plan that is subsidized by the government cannot offer abortion coverage as part of that plan. The insurer could, conceivably, offer separate coverage in the form of a rider, but critics argue that is unlikely to happen.

According to the current language of the Senate bill, an insurer could still offer abortion coverage but would be forced to ensure that only private funds, not federal funds, are covering the costs of the procedure.